Tell Me My Fortune, O Wise One
by Bay City Kitty
Summary: ONESHOT. RANDOM. “Winry, there is no way you are going to get me to spend my hard earned money on some ridiculous charlatan just so you can ask pointless questions about your future.”


**Author's Note:- This week, a friend thought it would be a good idea to go to a fair and see a fortune teller. Amongst all the other boring made up crap, the stupid old bat told me that my friend and I would be very happy together, assuming we were boyfriend and girlfriend. I could have laughed till I exploded.**

**Anyway, hence my inspiration. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:- Wish I did but I don't.**

**X**

**Tell Me My Fortune, O Wise One.**

"Please, Ed. Please!"

"Winry, no!"

Winry grabbed his arm and planted her feet firmly, surprising her companion with her strength as she dragged him backwards.

"Come on, Ed, it's only ten marks for a ten minute reading and-"

"Winry," Edward interrupted, disengaging himself from her and straightening his sleeve. "There is no way you are going to get me to spend my hard earned money on some ridiculous charlatan just so you can ask pointless questions about your future."

Winry grumbled and slouched her shoulders, then looked up with innocent, pleading eyes. Edward saw the assault coming a mile off and steeled himself for what would come next.

"But," her brow furrowed slightly…

"Winry-"

"But, Ed…" a sniffle.

"Winry-"

"Edward…" the bottom lip was trembling now. Edward groaned. Here it came, the grand finale.

"Edward… you promised."

He caved. Edward caved, just like that. Truly, he must have been the most un-self respecting man in existence. He'd known it was coming, but he was a sucker for the lip quiver. It got him every time. Winry stood next to him, trying to make herself look small (despite being roughly just as tall), still holding the quiver, her face the picture of innocence and distress.

But she wasn't finished. Oh no.

She was yet to deliver the final, crushing blow.

"But," she looked at the ground and let her hair fall in front of her eyes. "If you don't want to, then… I guess…" Winry trailed off, and there was a pause. Then, just as Edward was beginning to think he might have won, she reached out and gently tugged his sleeve, like a small child begging for forgiveness.

His resistance shot, Edward had no alternative.

How could he argue with her when she looked so pathetic?

"Fine."

Winry squealed with delight, brightening immediately, and grabbing his arm, yanked him back to the fortune-telling tent. Edward was ashamed of himself. He fell for it every time.

Filled with new determination, Winry scuttled back to the fortune telling tent and pushed back the curtain, pulling Edward in behind her. Inside, it was dark and gloomy, completely different to all the other stalls at the fair. Edward blinked, trying to accustom himself to the sudden change in light.

Without warning, Winry pulled him down to sit on the cushions that had been scattered on the floor and fished his wallet out of his pocket (Edward was slightly suspicious of her knowing exactly where it was, but said nothing) and put ten marks down on the table with an audible slap.

There was a pause, then a pale hand slowly reached out and took the money. There was lots of quiet jingling, and then quite suddenly, there was a burst of pale green light and a burning green orb illuminated their faces, and the face of their new tent mate.

She was old, but not as old as Edward had expected, and she looked as if the only thing she had ever predicted in her life was the decline of her own good looks. Her skin was pale and papery and her veins were clearly visible. She had many silk scarves swathed over her shoulders and strings of beads around her neck and wrists.

Her eyes bulged out of their sockets as she stared into glowing orb that hovered just above the table. Edward wasn't fooled. Winry was captivated.

He rolled his eyes.

"What is your name child?" The woman asked in a sandpapery voice.

"Winry," Winry replied breathily. Edward snorted.

"Shouldn't you already know that?" He said sceptically. Winry gave him a jab in the ribs and the fortune teller flashed him a withering look before turning back to her customer.

"Winry..?" She reached out and took Winry's hand in one of hers, the other resting lightly on the glowing orb. "Hmm… You have a shop, do you not?"

"Yes," Winry replied, her eyes bright.

"Mmm. I see your shop, not long from now. It is thriving. You have gained lots of custom." The woman was still staring into the orb. Edward tried to angle himself so that he could look into it as well, but all he could see was the bright green light as it emanated from the centre. It had to be a light bulb or something… a candle..?

The old woman was still speaking, "You will marry a young man. You have known him for some time, but you are not expecting the alliance. It will be a long and happy marriage, but riddled with tragedy."

"How can it be happy if it's 'riddled with tragedy'?" Edward snorted. His input earned him another withering look and an even harder jab in the ribs.

"There has been much loss throughout your life, and you will continue to lose loved ones, as we all do. However this love will remain strong, despite distances that may come between you."

The old woman paused and looked expectantly at Edward, as if waiting for him to say something, but, sadly for himself, he had run out of witticisms. Quite suddenly, she let Winry's wrist drop to the table with a bang (she hadn't quite been expecting it) and seized Edward's hand instead.

"Hey!" He protested, trying to squirm free, but her hold was firm.

"I see many things about you, Elric," the old woman said. "Things you would not wish others to see. In particular, I see a person. Someone who's kindness you have abused and taken advantage of, and you know that you have," she heaved Edward across the table, so he was half crouching, so close to her that he could smell the whiskey on her breath.

"Do not abuse this union," she said austerely. "You may not ever let her see how you really feel, but she is the only one you will ever have that will truly make you happy."

Edward stared at her speechless. The crazy old crone was breathing heavily, blowing whiskey fumes into his face. Then, abruptly, she let go of him and sat down again.

"That will be another ten marks, please," she told them.

"What?" Winry exclaimed, her tone suddenly changed from the dreamy whisper it had been to an indignant cry. "But that was nowhere near ten minutes!"

"Ah, but I performed two readings, so the charge is double."

Winry blinked in surprise, then her face darkened and she stood up, grabbing a still stunned Edward by the scruff of his neck and hauling him up.

"Come on, Ed," she snapped. "Lets leave the money grabbing old crone to her stupid bauble."

Without another word, she lead Edward out of the tent and back into daylight and turned, marching back the way they had come earlier. Edward ran to catch up with her.

"Bloody charlatan," Winry fumed. "What a load of crap. _Do not abuse this union_, who does she think she is, a bloody church minister? Puh. Like any girl would look at _you _twice."

Edward stopped and cocked his head to one side, a funny smile on his face.

"Winry?"

"What?"

"Are you jealous?"

Winry stopped and stared. A blush began to creep up her neck.

"What? No, of course not, don't be ridiculous," she spluttered, saying it all far too quickly. The blush became darker, and she very suddenly turned on her heel and stalked off down the road. Edward trotted after her, barely able to contain his mirth, and when he caught up with his friend, he threw an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her tight.

"Don't worry, Winry. You aren't going to foist me off with some other girl that easily."

Winry merely gave him another haughty look, but said nothing.

**Fin.**

**R&R ' il vous plait. And sorry about having to put everything in bold... the ruler tool doesn't appear to be working.**


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